Theft deterrent systems in today's automobiles have evolved to include the use of “High Security” keys. Such keys include transponder technology that require an electronic “handshake” with the automobile and, in many cases, a more sophisticated “side-mill” key cut instead of the more familiar “edge-cut”. Most duplication equipment found in hardware stores and in department stores offering key cutting services is not capable of machining these side-mill key cuts. Also, duplication equipment found in hardware stores, locksmith shops, car dealerships, etc may extract a transponder code from a key and may then program a replacement transponder with the extracted code. The duplication equipment may finally cut a key on site in accordance with the “bitting” characteristics found by “tracing” the key being duplicated or by entering a key code that has been purchased from a key code service provider. Such a replication process requires the business providing the duplication service to own or to have immediate access to the duplication equipment referred to above.
This on site replication process is prohibitively expensive. Accordingly, a less expensive alternative to this on site replication process is desired. Examples of the state of the art can be found in US Published Application 2012/0154127 A1 and the 2013 Comprehensive Catalog from Strattec. These documents are incorporated herein by way of background to the current difficulties that are solved by the present invention.